(TibetanReview.net, May09, 2017) – A school-going Tibetan village boy in Bora Township of Gannan (Tibetan: Kanho) Prefecture, Gansu Province, was reported to have immolated himself in protest against Chinese rule on May 2. It was not clear whether the boy survived and if so what his condition was, reported the Tibetan Service of Radio Free Asia (Washington) May 7.

The boy, Chagdor Kyab, set himself afire near Bora Monastery, an affiliate of the Labrang Tashikyil Monastery located in the prefecture’s Sangchu (Chinese: Xiahe) County.

The report cited an anonymous local source as saying the boy shouted “Tibet wants freedom” and “Let His Holiness the Dalai Lama come back to Tibet” as he burned. He was reported to have tried to make it to the Bora Township Chinese government offices in a ball of fire but fell to the ground before reaching it.

Chinese police and military personnel were reported to have swiftly arrived on the scene, put out the flames, and taken him away.

The boy’s mother was named as Dolma Tso and father Zoepa, residents of the township’s Dardo Village.

The report said the incident brought to 149 the number of protest self-immolations by Tibetans in Tibet since Feb 2009. At least 125 of them are known to have died.